Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, so I don't own Harry Potter.
~*~*~Chapter Ten: Curse and Countercurse~*~*~
Larisa's mind kept flicking back to the strange mirror whenever she let it wander. No matter how much thinking she did, she couldn't figure anything out about the mirror. Worse yet, she couldn't ask or talk to anyone about it's powers, let alone what she had seen inside the mirror. It would be mildly embarrassing to talk to Draco about seeing herself wearing an engagement ring, and Bellatrix would go completely nuts if she found out that another supposedly Dark object had caught Larisa's attention and was influencing her mind. Dumbledore was out of the question, for he would possibly deduce what was going on and figure out about Draco's task. It was also a little embarrassing to go to Snape, and Larisa knew he'd tell Bellatrix everything Larisa said the minute she left his office. Larisa had an idea to write Karina, but Larisa didn't know any fancy enchantments to put on letters to prevent them from being read by anyone other than the sender and the receiver. The feeling of being trapped was growing, and not even the locket could stop it anymore.
To add to Larisa's already grim mood, progress on the Vanishing Cabinet seemed to be going backwards. Larisa could tell Draco was getting nervous, because he was getting very jumpy and shaky. He had also gotten detention for the first Hogsmeade trip because he missed two Transfiguration assignments. Larisa was somehow managing to keep up, but it was at a bad price, for now Larisa always had the look of a recently drowned person due to lack of sleep. She was amazed that she was even able to still handle the Quaffle without dropping it, her hands shook so bad.
It was about halfway through October, and the first Hogsmeade trip arrived.
"I'll see you afterwards." Larisa told Draco as she joined the line of students who were checking in with Filch.
"Wait, before you go," Draco said, reaching out and catching her wrist. "Check on Madam Rosmerta to see if the Imperius Curse is still holding, please?" He whispered so only Larisa could hear. Larisa felt a thrill of horror, but she nodded. "Thanks. Have fun." He released her wrist, then turned and started towards McGonagall's office. Larisa still had the feeling of horror, but she shuffled forwards. She knew that Draco had put Madam Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse, but for what, she had no idea. After Filch checked her with the Secrecy Sensor, she walked out of the building and into the howling wind and sleet. Almost at once, Larisa felt happier; the horrible cold reminded her of winters back at Durmstrang. She could hardly believe that it had only been about two years since she left the biting cold. This was nothing to her, and while other students were desperately trying to cover their faces, Larisa uncovered hers and set off at a brisk pace. It wasn't long until she reached the village, and she saw that Zonko's Joke Shop had been boarded up. She saw that Honeydukes Sweet Shop was still open, and she ducked inside, followed by three people.
"Thank God." Ron's voice said, and Larisa snapped around to stare at them while taking her hat off and cramming it into her pocket. Hermione took her hat off and nodded at Larisa.
"Hello, Hermione." Larisa said. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"
"I'm hoping that was sarcasm." Ron's muffled voice said.
"It's nothing compared to what we got at Durmstrang." Larisa said, shrugging. Ron opened his mouth, when Slughorn came over.
"Harry, m'boy!" He boomed, and Larisa groaned, quickly disguising it as a cough. Slughorn had taken no notice. "Harry, that's three of my little suppers you've missed! Same for you, Larisa!" Larisa had been wondering when she was going to get dragged into this. "It won't do, you two, I'm determined to get you both! Miss Granger loves them, don't you?"
"They're, uh..."
"So why don't you come along, Harry?"
"I've had Quidditch practice, Professor." Harry explained.
"And you, Miss Rei?" Slughorn asked.
"I've been helping Draco with his homework, still. NEWT classes, and all..." Larisa lied easily. She prayed that Slughorn would buy this lie. Indeed, he did, but Harry cast Larisa a suspicious glance.
"Well, how about Monday night, then?" Slughorn asked.
"I've got an appointment with Professor Dumbledore, sir." Harry said, still looking at Larisa suspiciously.
"I was planning on writing to my Aunt Karina-" Larisa began to say.
"Oho! Karina Rei, I presume?" Slughorn asked. Larisa nodded. "I remember teaching her, she was wonderful at Potions. Shame about her brother, your father, Borislav. He was very gifted." Slughorn said.
"I have been told so many times." Larisa said through gritted teeth.
"You're a bit like him. You're more like your mother, though. Well, you can't evade me forever!" With that, Slughorn left the shop, leaving Larisa standing there, a slightly appalled look on her face. Harry was still looking at her suspiciously, and Larisa began to mutter under her breath.
"There is no way at all that I'm like them." Larisa muttered in a slightly acidic tone. "Why are people always saying I'm a lot like those utter psychopaths?"
"Are you aware that we can hear what your saying?" Ron asked.
"Not really. I'm not right in the head currently." Larisa said, looking at her watch. Overall, it had been a very boring trip, and she was considering heading back up to the castle. Just a quick look into The Three Broomsticks to check if the Imperius Curse was holding on Madam Rosmerta, and then she'd head back up to the castle. "See you around."
"What's the rush?" Ron asked. Larisa sighed, slightly irritated.
"I need to get out of here before Nott finds me." She lied, looking around the shop. Along with wanting to go back up to the castle, she was in no mood to run into Nott, making it somewhat true. With a final nod at the three of them, Larisa ducked out of the shop, back into the wind. She didn't bother to put her hat back on, and she bowed her head against the wind as she plowed towards The Three Broomsticks. When she arrived, she pushed the door open, glad to be inside again. Shaking her long white hair out a little bit, she walked forwards a little, trying to catch Madam Rosmerta's eyes, just to check and see if they were oddly blank. However, her attempts were thwarted due to the fact that...
"Hello, Larisa."
"Hello, Nott." Larisa said, stunned as Nott came over to her. She would have given anything to escape, and was contemplating giving Nott a Galleon to get lost.
"Where's Malfoy?"
"Detention." Larisa said shortly as Harry, Ron, and Hermione came in. Harry was complaining loudly about something, and Hermione was trying to shush him.
"So you're all alone?" Nott asked, obviously trying to keep a conversation going with Larisa for more than sixty seconds.
"Yes. Sadly." Larisa said, still trying to catch Madam Rosmerta's eyes. She wasn't going to let anyone, especially Theodore Nott, stop her. Sadly, Madam Rosmerta, taking a package with her, vanished into the back.
"Then why did you even come to Hogsmeade?"
"I needed some air." Larisa lied. "You're here alone, aren't you?"
"Well...Yes." There was a long silence between the two. Larisa decided that it was time to take drastic action. "So..."
"Look, Nott, you're really nice and all, but I'm seeing someone else right now." Larisa explained, hoping that she had sounded nice about it.
"Oh." With that, Nott turned and walked away. It was at that moment that Madam Rosmerta entered the room from the back, and indeed, her eyes were oddly blank. The Imperius Curse had held. Following Madam Rosmerta was Katie Bell, the Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She held a package in her hand, and Larisa also saw her eyes were oddly blank. She and her friend then left, followed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Larisa lingered for a few minutes, then she followed. She bowed her head against the wind again, slightly nervous. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!" Larisa looked up just in time to see Katie fly gracefully into the air, her arms spread out. Her hair was whipped around in the wind, and the scene momentarily froze. Larisa's hand twitched towards her wand, her eyes fixed on Katie. Suddenly, Katie's eyes flew open, and she let out a horrible scream. Her friend screamed as well, grabbing her ankles and trying to pull Katie back to the ground. Larisa ran forwards, drawing her wand as Katie fell from the air. Harry and Ron caught her, and Katie began to thrash about. They set her down on the ground, and Larisa nearly knocked Ron over as she knelt down at Katie's side.
"Stay there! I'm going for help!" Harry shouted, and he turned and ran up the lane. Katie's friend, Leanne, was sobbing hysterically, and Larisa managed to catch onto one of Katie's wrists. She was still screaming and thrashing, while Larisa's mind shot into a whirl. Holding tightly to Katie's wrist, Larisa pulled it up so she could get a look at it. There was a small hole in her glove, and Larisa held her wand and gave the hole a sharp jab. Katie's screams grew a little quieter, and Larisa remembered exactly what they did. Larisa began to trace Katie's hand with the tip of her wand, murmuring an incantation nonstop under her breath. Katie bean to fall still, and Larisa began tracing up her arm, still muttering the incantation. Leanne was still sobbing, but she was slowly growing calmer as Larisa began to trace Katie's other hand. Katie still screamed on, but Larisa shut that out and continued muttering the incantation. At last, Katie stopped thrashing. Larisa removed her wand tip and backed away, keeping her eyes on Katie, who was still screaming, yet she was perfectly still. Occasionally, one of Katie's fingers would twitch, giving Larisa some reassurance; she had been able to do the countercurse pretty well. The exact countercurse should have quieted her as well as keep her still, but Larisa didn't care about that bit, at least Katie was lying still. At long last, Harry returned, Hagrid following him.
"Get back! Lemme see her!" Hagrid shouted. He looked at Katie for a little bit, then picked her up and started to run back towards the castle. Ron was looking at the package, where an opal necklace was poking out, and he had his hand outstretched, when Larisa recognized the opal necklace.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" She shrieked hysterically, and Ron withdrew his hand very quickly as Larisa knelt down next to it, pulling her hat out of her pocket. She checked her gloves, then very carefully tore a piece of the wrappings off. Using the piece of the wrappings, and lifted the necklace up and dropped it into her hat, which she held away from her. Slowly, she got to her feet. Ron was telling something to Harry, who was looking at Larisa, slightly shocked. "W-we need to show this to Madam Pomfrey." Larisa then turned and hurried up the lane after Hermione and Leanne, who had just left.
"How did you do that?" Ron demanded.
"Old magic. We learned it at Durmstrang. I can't perform it very well, an experienced caster is able to completely stop the curse. I only slowed it's progress." Larisa said shortly. Her locket twitched towards the necklace, which shuddered slightly. "How did this get into Hogsmeade, I have no idea..."
"I think I know..." Harry said in a low voice.
"Oh?" Larisa asked, still walking forward. Her head was completely soaked from the snow and sleet, and the wind was whipping her hair about. Her locket was still twitching, causing the necklace that was in the bottom of Larisa's hat to twitch as well.
"I'd tell you, but you're too close to Malfoy." Harry said, and Larisa stopped in her tracks. The whole ordeal with the necklace suddenly seemed to make sense now. Larisa slowly turned around to face Harry, her eyes narrowed into slits.
"If you must know, Draco is in detention today, and I would never do something like this. He has no accomplices, and I suggest you push whatever little theory you are concocting out of your mind. Draco is not a Death Eater." She said shortly. Harry blinked, looking as though he had narrowly missed being struck by something very heavy.
"He could not be telling you about being a Death Eater-"
"It's hard to hide being a Death Eater. Trust me, I struggle to do so." Larisa said, still very shortly. She turned on her heal and began to continue walking back up to the school, still holding the opal necklace well away from her. The wind continued to howl, and Larisa was turning everything over in her mind.
"McGonagall!" Larisa heard Ron say, and she looked up to see Professor McGonagall hurrying down towards them.
NOTE FROM LIVELIFETOTHEFULLEST4E: Hello. Now then, for the next month or two, you may only get one chapter a week. This is due to the fact that I have sustained an injury to my hand. I am able to type things with my good hand, but only that hand. Therefor, it will take me longer to write the chapters. Chapter updates will speed up as soon as I recover, I promise. Thank you for your cooperation.
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